17 November 2006: trouble at Edge Hill

The Higher Education union UCU reports the possibility of strike action at Edge Hill University (before that Edge Hill College of Higher Education, previously, Edge Hill University College, and before various costly management consultancy exercises, just plain old Edge Hill College). From the UCU press release, it appears that Edge Hill has been the first college in the country to walk out of the national pay bargaining arrangements in Higher Education: imposing a new pay scale on their staff without consulting the union or obtaining staff consent.

I should perhaps confess a modest personal interest in the story: back in 1999-2001 I was the NATFHE branch secretary at Edge Hill.

Staff used to tell many stories about their employer, and its Chief Executive. One concerned the penultimate national dispute in Higher Education, which, I have to point out, preceded my employment at the College. According to the story I was told, the Chief Executive sent his administrator out to welcome the pickets with teas and coffee. Everyone mistook his gesture for a small act of kindness, but the people who took the drinks found that their names had been recorded - and their pay was cut later by 10 percent. It doesn't surprise me one bit that the college has been the first to attempt to leave national pay bargaining.